Allan Gray Orbis Foundation tackles unemployment through Scholarship initiative

The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation is offering South Africa’s best and brightest entrepreneurial-minded first year university students a golden opportunity with its Fellowship Programme. The programme aims to develop students, known as Allan Gray Fellows, into South Africa’s future high growth entrepreneurial leaders and includes comprehensive financial support as one of its many benefits.
Anthony Farr, CEO of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, says South Africa’s high unemployment rate, which currently stands at 25%, is a major obstacle to the country’s growth and future success on the international stage. “The success of the ambitious New Growth Path proposed by government, which aims to reduce the unemployment rate by 10% over the next decade and create five million new jobs, will depend on the involvement of the private sector. By developing a new generation of high-impact entrepreneurially minded leaders, we can ensure a dynamic economy that keeps creating new employment opportunities through innovative business ventures. It’s one of the key ways in which we will secure a bright future for our country,” Farr explains.
Developing entrepreneurial thinking
The Fellowship Programme offered by the Foundation is aimed at developing entrepreneurial thinking and leadership through development activities, experiential learning and seminars including a number of guest speakers conducted by the Foundation . It is open to all current first-year students who have achieved a 65% average in their 2011 mid-year exams. Candidates must be citizens of South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland or Botswana, and must not be older than 22 years as of 31 August 2011.
Only undergraduate studies in the fields of Commerce, Engineering, Science (excluding Medicine), Law and Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics) will be considered. The Programme includes tuition fees, residence fees, a book allowance and living allowance for studies at any of the following universities: University of Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, University of Johannesburg, University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Rhodes University, University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape.
To apply, SMS “FELLOW” and your email address to 33025, or download the application form from the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation website at www.allangrayorbis.org. Alternatively, you can request an application form by emailing the Foundation at fellowship@allangrayorbis.org. Applications for the Fellowship Programme close August 31st 2011.

Scholarship Opportunity – How to apply

Grade 6 learners who would like to get a head start on their path to securing their future success can also apply for the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Scholarship Programme. It offers support to financially needy learners to complete their high school career at selected leading private and public high schools from 2013 onwards.
The Scholarship Programme includes the full cost of tuition, boarding and several other allowances. To be considered, applicants must show exceptional ability and potential in Mathematics and English and must clearly demonstrate financial need.
To apply, applicants can SMS “SCHOLAR” and their email address to 33021 or download the application form from http://www.allangrayorbis.org/. Applications close on September 31st 2011.

Ideate is one of South Africa's biggest business blogs, with a team of authors all of whom have had entrepreneurial experience. Ideate is read by entrepreneurs thinking BIG. Follow us on Twitter here. View more articles by Staff Reporter.

Source: http://www.ideate.co.za/

Public Speaking: Gearing Up For The Stage

So now you’ve booked your slot, and you’re going to stand up in front of a bunch of people and talk. What happens now? The first thing to do is to relax. If you prepare enough, you WILL be fine. In fact, prepare hard enough and you’ll be GREAT.
Once you have figured out the main points of the presentation and have a structure around that, it’s time to analyze your audience so that you can be strategic in how you address them.
Remember that good presentations are entertaining as well informative. So whatever your subject and audience, try to find ways to make the content and delivery enjoyable with some research, imagination, and humor.
Analyze your audience
Sussing out the audience will help you to hone in on the specifics of getting your ideas and concepts across effectively. Think about what their relationship to you is, for instance addressing internal stakeholders such as staff will require a different approach from external stakeholders such an Industry Regulatory board.
Consider the power dynamics between yourself and the audience, if you are in a position of power, then you need to try to make them comfortable, but if the reverse is true, you will have to establish your credibility early on. Think about the degree of formality the occasion calls for. Have you interacted with them prior to the presentation? Is there a shared level of understanding? Are they likely to welcome your ideas, or challenge them?
Factor in the kind of audience action or response required if your objectives are to be met. If appropriate, you can plan to stimulate memories, feelings and emotions. For instance, if you are meeting potential investors, you may want to leave them so excited about the potential impact of your business that they feel compelled to put funds towards it. However, this only works when you have figured out the audience, and you have the skill to deliver the presentation effectively.
Choose your style
A great delivery is crucial to the success of your presentation. You may have excellent products, fresh ideas, and boast the latest innovations, but if this information comes out wrong or if your style is off the mark, your success rate will be diminished. Your style is expressed by your choice of words, the length and structure of your sentences, and the tone you use to address your audience.
Generally, you want to appear and sound confident, intelligent, enthusiastic, and genuine. Ensure that the approach you use suits the occasion and matches the audience. Build in these considerations when you go about filling in the details of your presentation so that your approach is on target for the audience, and is consistent with your chosen style.
Puseletso Mompei offers Communications and Media training for corporate executives, spokespersons, managers, entrepreneurs, government officials, diplomats, academia and public relations officers. Visit www.kwazicommunications.co.za for further information. View more articles by Puseletso Mompei.

Source: http://www.ideate.co.za/

The Social Entrepreneur: Using Twitter to book meetings

The Social Entrepreneur: Using Twitter to book meetings

by Mike Saunders on 10/05/11 at 8:46 am
2 comments

People often ask how Twitter can be beneficial in business. I answer this by asking how golf days are good for business.
Golf days are all about networking and meeting new people who could be potential business partners. The access to high profile people is key. It’s important not to seem over-eager, whilst still remaining focused on the task at hand – successfully acquiring a meeting date with prospective clients.
The problem is all the small talk and the game itself takes so much time and decreases my productivity. I would much rather play golf for fun than for business.
With Twitter, people choose to follow other people who they find interesting – and they’re then recruited to a continuous conversation which they can access when and where it suits them. Let’s use my profile as an example:
I use Twitter to promote my blog by posting links to articles that I’ve written. In addition I also tweet links to other articles on social media and internet marketing. This creates a useful Twitter profile that people interested in internet marketing and social media can follow.
The people following me are interested in social media and internet marketing, meaning that the potential is high that I may have followers that would be interested in hiring me. What I’ve done is created a Twitter account that will attract potential clients as well as industry peers, competitors and business partners.
When people retweet my content it often opens up an opportunity for conversation and insight otherwise unavailable to me. I always use the opportunity to connect with these people because their interest in my content on Twitter shows a common interest. This often ends up in a physical meetings over coffee if the Twitter conversation proves valuable to both parties.
So, by producing engaging blog content that I promote on Twitter, I find people who are interested in the industry that I operate in. When these people engage with my content (retweeting or replying to tweets), I use the opportunity to engage them further and get to know them better.
All of this takes a few minutes in comparison to the few hours spent over a golf game, allowing me to be more productive with my time, and freeing up my weekends to play golf socially (which is more enjoyable)!
Mike is the CEO of DigitLab, a digital marketing and social media agency, as well as Keynote Speaker and Social Media Coach at TomorrowToday. An internet strategy consultant by day, and blogger by night on http://www.mikesaunders.co.za/, Mike is the guru on all things digital and provides training, presentations, and consulting on strategy, social media, social business, internet marketing, and the new world of work. View more articles by Mike Saunders.

Poem by an African

I am an African...

An inspiring poem about being an African written by Wayne Visser, a South African currently based in Nottingham, UK.


I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of music
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognise her gifts as sacred

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